The most memorable news stories of 2011

PORTSMOUTH — For my final column of 2011, I will be listing off a few of my favorite stories from the past year.

Charles McMahon

PORTSMOUTH — For my final column of 2011, I will be listing off a few of my favorite stories from the past year.

Unlike the Top 10 stories published in the most recent Seacoast Sunday, this list is completely my own and limited to Portsmouth.

In preparing for this column, I thought long and hard about some of the sights and sounds that I was lucky enough to take part in over the past 12 months.

By my calculations, it appears that I wrote more than 1,500 stories in 2011 related to the city.

One that immediately sticks out to me is the story of Whitni Hendley, an employee of the local Planet Fitness who helped save a man's life after he collapsed on a treadmill in November.

This story had all of the components of a good news story, in my opinion.

Hendley not only sprang into action by calling 911, but she also used her training as a paramedic to help revive the man. I was lucky enough to be there when Hendley and John Foster, 65, of Rye, reunited at Portsmouth Regional Hospital.

Needless to say, the moment was touching and very human. The best part about it is that it had a happy ending. Believe it or not, the stories that end on a good note are my favorites.

Another story that immediately came to mind involves Gov. John Lynch making a surprise visit to former mayor of Portsmouth Eileen Foley.

Unlike many stories involving Gov. Lynch, this one was not pre-publicized and did not involve a swarm of media. It was when Lynch paid a visit to Foley on the sly after being unable to see her at the Memorial Bridge celebration in October.

I consider myself very lucky to have been asked to come along for the unique moment.

It's always a treat to catch the side of someone when all the cameras are off. Watching Lynch and Foley exchange pleasantries was perhaps one of those rare moments where you stop looking at someone as a politician and instead as a real person.

Another one of my favorites this year came from Don Trefethen, a Seacoast resident who penned a book on his life growing up in the Puddle Dock at Strawbery Banke.

Listening to Trefethen recall his experience as "a wild child growing up in the old Puddle Dock area in the South End of Portsmouth in the 1950s and early '60s" was very telling of what Portsmouth used to be like.

His story is a prime example of how a person's memories oftentimes make the best stories. Making the story even cooler is the fact that Trefethen now works at Strawbery Banke and gets a chance to relive his childhood almost every single day.

One of the most inspiring stories of the year came from 90-year-old Park Street resident Betty Pennington.

Having lost her right leg as a result of vascular disease, the longtime city resident is a prime example of what living life to its fullest is all about.

Despite having to learn how to walk all over again with a prosthetic limb, Pennington said something that has stuck with me ever since.

"I can't just sit down and worry about it all the time," she said. "I'll be OK. I'll be alright."

I'm thankful I got a chance to meet Pennington. I like to think her optimism was contagious.

Rounding out my list of favorite stories of 2011 is the reunion of a group of Marine Corps pilots who flew together in a helicopter squadron during the Vietnam War.

The story involved members of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 361 who served a tour of duty from 1965 to 1966. For many of the men who gathered in Portsmouth in September, the reunion was the first time they had seen their commanding officer, Lt. Col. Lloyd F. Childers, since their service in Vietnam.

Listening as the men reflected upon their time in Vietnam was a history lesson in itself. Watching the respect each man paid to Childers, even more than 40 years later, was touching.

Looking ahead to 2012, I can only hope that I'm lucky enough to tackle stories similar to the ones I've listed above. I look forward to finding and reporting the news for you, the readers, in the coming year. I remain humbled by each and every person I meet, and will continue to do my best to serve as your storyteller.

Portsmouth Herald reporter Charles McMahon can be reached at 570-2234 or cmcmahon@seacoastonline.com.

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